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Big Brown heads to Belmont
By The King of The Derby

Big Brown was amazing and impressive in winning the first two legs of the Triple Crown. While watching him prepare in the infield, there was a looming air of certainty about the outcome. Big Brown fulfilled that feeling with two resounding performances.

At Pimlico, Big Brown glided around the track as if out for a jog, clear on the outside following the pace setters Gayego and Riley Tucker. Effortlessly, he moved and waited for the precise moment to engage the leaders. There was no doubt as he rounded the final turn. For most of the race the other horses followed along, trying to gauge the appropriate moment to take on Big Brown. But it was too late. He spurted clear at the top of the stretch and maintained a lead of five lengths with no urging. Kent Desourmeaux turned around to look several times including once between his legs to assess if he needed to push him at all.

He didn't.

Big Brown won by 5 1/4 lengths with Macho Again, Icabad Crane and RaceCar Rhapsody taking up the next positions. The remaining order of finish was Stevil, Kentucky Bear, Hey Byrn, Giant Moon, Tres Borrachos, Yankee Bravo, Gayego and Riley Tucker. Behind at the Bar was scratched.

Now Big Brown heads to New York and will attempt to be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. Since then eleven horses have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Of those, Real Quiet has come the closest to winning the Triple Crown, losing the Belmont Stakes by a nose in 1998. Charismatic led the Belmont in the final furlong in 1999 but broke his leg in the final stretch and was third.

The three most recent to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness were War Emblem in 2002, Funny Cide in 2003, and Smarty Jones in 2004. War Emblem tripped at the start of the Belmont, Funny Cide lost the Belmont in the slop to fresh horses, and Smarty Jones lost by only a length. In addition, several horses have won two of the three races since the last Triple Crown win, most recently Afleet Alex in 2005, who lost the Kentucky Derby but won the Preakness and Belmont

There may be as many as eight horses headed to the June 7th Belmont Stakes. They include Macho Again, Icabad Crane, Behind at the Bar, Casino Drive, Anak Nakal, Take of Ekati, Tomcito and Denis of Cork.

The Purse for this year's Belmont $1 million. Given Big Brown's recent dominance, it's likely that the rest of the field is racing for second - still a large purse. So if you would like a piece of history, perhaps you will want to wager on Big Brown and simply enjoy the fun.

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